5 Weird Things We Learned at New York Comic Con’s ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ Panel

From Hogwarts to Beverly Hills! Daniel Radcliffe told audiences at New York Comic Con‘s “Let’s Get WEIRD” panel, hosted by Comedy Central’s Josh Horowitz, that the “first thing” he did after booking the role of “Weird” Al Yankovic in WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story was learn how to play the accordion.

The actor said, “I’m incredibly lucky to have a friend who has an accordion and had the time to teach me, and he gave me one.” Radcliffe continued to share that prep for the shoot was challenging, credited to the choreography and having to mimic Yankovic’s body language.

Radcliffe was joined by Evan Rachel Wood – who plays Madonna – director Eric Appel, and the legend himself, “Weird” Al Yankovic, to discuss the upcoming biopic. Keep on reading to learn four more things that we learned at the Weird panel.

From Funny or Die to Roku: Appel released a fake trailer for a “Weird” Al biopic in 2013 through Funny or Die. The writer-director says that, initially, he thought it should remain a “three-minute internet video,” and not become a feature film. Appel shared, “For about a decade, after concerts, people would always say: ‘Is this movie real’ and ‘I have been looking for this movie but I can’t find it anywhere.'” But things changed when Yankovic reached out to him in February of 2019. “I got a random email from Al that was like, ‘I think it’s time.’ With Rocket Man, Bohemian Rhapsody, and a whole slew of biopics coming out, the time was right.”

Daniel Radcliffe’s Mustache Was Real: Wood couldn’t get over Radcliffe’s full ‘stache in the biopic – and honestly, neither can we. During the panel, she shared that Radcliffe’s mustache was 100% real in the film and spilled some advice for others in the industry: “If you can avoid fake facial hair, you should.”

Al Yankovic Recorded New Music For the Biopic: Daniel Radcliffe revealed that he “obviously” didn’t actually sing in the the biopic. Instead, Yankovic recorded new versions of his older songs and their voices were blended together for the final cut.

Celebrating Being Weird: Reflecting on the core of the film, Yankovic said it’s about “celebrating being different.” He said, “There’s some really sweet, earnest message in this movie about embracing what makes all of us weird.” Now that’s what people at conventions want to hear!

WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story is based on Appel’s fake Funny or Die film trailer for a “Weird” Al biopic and is a fictitious “100% true” take on the parody singer’s life. The synopsis reads, “From a conventional upbringing where playing the accordion was a sin, Al rebelled and made his dream of changing the words to world-renowned songs come true. An instant success and sex symbol, Al lives an excessive lifestyle and pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him,” with the last bit teasing the film’s core romance between “Weird” Al and Madonna.

You can not learn more about the famed singer by watching WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story when it premieres November 4, 2022 on The Roku Channel.